The Road To Emmaus Series

Well good morning newlife, it is great to see you today at our sunrise service this morning as we celebrate the son that has risen. You know as we gather here early this morning, the world around us is waking up, the sky as you can see is changing from night to dawn. The sun is breaking through over the horizon. No, I do not know about you but for me there is something that speaks to me when we see the sunrise. There is like a hope. Light that is pushing back the darkness, a new day a new beginning another chance, another opportunity. And it is no coincidence that we are here today looking at the sunrise because Jesus has risen, because one morning like this the world shifted forever as another kind of light breaks through.

That morning when the sun rose, the Son Jesus Christ rose also. But the thing is this that moment was not witnessed by crowds, it was not celebrated with trumpets, there was no crowd of people shouting. It happened quietly, but in that quietness everything changed. That morning rewrote history, that morning also give us renewed hope.

Just like this moment where the light break through the darkness, we see 2 disciples once experienced their own sunrise moment, and that is when Jesus showed up, so I want to look at the road to Emmaus. We see it in Luke 24, where 2 men were walking to a town called Emmaus, it was about 15km from where they travelled from, and then we see that Jesus started to walk with them, and in this story there was a discussion taking place, and man how this story is so relevant for us today.

We read this in Luke 24:15-16: "Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him."

recognizing Him."

The setting is familiar to us: two followers of Jesus walking down a road. They are leaving Jerusalem, the city of promise, the city where they had placed all their hopes. But now, they are walking away. They had believed Jesus was the one. But now He was gone. Crucified. Buried. Their dreams shattered.

The walk to Emmaus wasn’t just a physical journey—it was a walk-through grief. Through disappointment. Through confusion. You need to understand they did not know what we knew now, they saw a few days earlier how Jesus died, how he said it is finished, they did not know today was coming.

They were walking thinking it is the end. And here’s what makes this passage powerful: Jesus Himself joins them on the road. When you read this passage, He didn’t wait for them to come back to Him. He didn’t scold them for walking away. He joined them in their pain. He walked alongside them. But they didn’t recognize Him Why not? Scripture says, "they were kept from recognizing Him." And this was interesting for me, why did Jesus not want him to recognize him and as I read further, I can see that, sometimes grief clouds our vision. Pain narrows our perspective. When you’re hurting, you can miss what’s right in front of you. It brings me to my first point.

Jesus walks with us even when we do not see him.

Have you ever been there? You’re praying, searching, questioning, and yet God feels distant. But what if He’s been walking besides, you the whole time? You pray and you intercede, you come with your prayers and petitions and still you feel no one is listening. I do not know what it would be for you, it can be a family related issue, it might be work related, you want to get married or meet the right person, it goes even deeper. You lost a family member a friend and you keep asking questions, but nothing happens, but we see in the Psalms Psalm 34:18 (NIV) “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. – repeated in the New Testament: Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

Here is what is key for me that There are seasons when we don’t feel Jesus close, but He is closer than we think. He is right there, just listening, he is present he listens to these 2 men just talking debating discussing. I want you to see this. how kind and patient Jesus is in this moment. He doesn’t reveal Himself right away. He listens. He walks. He waits.

It shows me that sometimes what we need most isn’t a quick answer, but a faithful presence. How does this work It’s in a hospital room. You’re waiting for test results for your child or spouse. It’s quiet, sterile. Your thoughts are loud, but the room is silent. You’ve prayed, but you feel numb. Alone. Abandoned, even. You check your phone, pace the floor, stare at the clock. What you don’t realise is that Jesus is there — not with lightning bolts and loud miracles — but with quiet strength.